canticle 148

shout!
shout to God 
from the farthest galaxies
to snow-capped peaks!
let it rip, bass note singing frogs;
twitter away, birds at the feeders!
sun and moon in eclipses' embrace;
bright stars in brittle skies, echo the songs!
sing out loud, clouds drifting across the sky;
join in the refrain, whitewater rapids!
everyone, everything, everywhere, 
join in the choruses composed 
to honor Imagination's heart!
God turned emptiness into wonder,
building bridges across rivers,
tearing down walls of resistance.
everyone, everything, everywhere,
shout from the rooftops, the sea floors,
the blistering beaches, the silent forests -
grizzly bears and giant squids,
campfires and snow families, 
soft gentle breezes and window rattling gusts
all telling of God's delight!
sure-footed mountain goats, orange groves,
cocoa bean plants, ornament bearing trees;
kittens tiptoeing after sunbeams,
sheep offering their wool for warmth,
tortoises seeing the finish live,
and puffins bobbing in the seas!
know-it-alls and students fretting over exams,
teachers and tellers, buyers and seller;
babies holding on to grandparents' pinkies,
little girls dancing with their feet on their dads!
planets and parrots, sea lions and sparrows,
the voiceless and those with perfect pitch,
the wise, the wealthy, the needy, the foolish,
let all join hands and hearts, hopes and dreams,
speaking with fingers and sighing in the silence,
for no one has a monopoly
on telling God of our great love.

Shout!

(c) 2019 Thom M. Shuman

canticle 146

our souls rejoice in you,
God of wonder and grace!
we sing carols of joy
in this season and in all
the days to come, until
there are no more!

help us to learn not
to trust politicians
be they right-wing,
left-wing, wingless; or
those who could care
less about others.
their words turn to dust
just as they do, and their
plans drift away like chaff.

but our hope is in you,
God of our faith grandparents;
hope which comes, not
just once a year on a holy night,
but is ours every breath we take,
a gift from the One who
flung galaxies into the heavens,
who never breaks a promise,
who lifts the forgotten to their feet,
who places extra chairs at dinner
until everyone has a place.

God picks the locks on
every fear and anger
which imprisons us;
God tilts up our heads
from  our devices, so
we can see the needy;
God teaches us justice
as the basic skill we need.
God keeps an eye on those
we have turned our backs on;
God cradles the lonely mourners
and sits in doorways with kids
who have been locked out
of the homes they grew up in;
God holds each of us accountable
on how we treat the vulnerable.

God's love, hope, grace, peace,
wonder, joy, welcome never become
obsolete.
our souls rejoice in you,
God of grace and wonder!

(c) 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Mary's canticle

as i push the cart
down the hallway
to clean the next room,
i sing wonders to
the One who works
at my side in every moment.
God watches the care
and love with which
i serve others, even
though they look
right past me, for
God will share my life
with those who follow me;
God does amazing things
for those who are forgotten,
yet who continue to trust
they are cradled in God's love.
God strengthens those worn out
by three jobs a week, while
the supervisors forget what
they are supposed to be doing
to impress the CEOs.
God knocks down the stone
monuments to power abusers,
building homes for those
relegated to crowded shelters.
God spends all night
cooking a banquet for all
who wonder about their next meal,
while giving directions to the food bank
to folk who could skip a few dinners.
God supports all who
visit the prisoners, care for the vulnerable,
gather in the abandoned,
in thanks for God's grace
in their own lives,
just as the stories of what God
did for our grandparents in the faith
are told over and over
until they become seeds
which bring forth a harvest
of hope, grace, peace, inclusion
for all of God's people.

(c) 2019 Thom M. Shuman